Stamp-affixing machine.



J. F. CUMMINGS. STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION. FILED 1111.30, 1911.

1,004, 1 50. Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

awoentoz coLunllA PLANOGIAPH 6 WAsmNm'ON. D. c.

J. F. CUMMINGS.

STAMP AFFIXING MAOHINE. APPLICATION nun man, 1911.

1,004,150. Patentd Sept. 26, 1911.

4 sums-sum 2.

- Ix 0 w .-6

J. P. CUMMINGS.

STAMP AFPIXING MACHINE. APPLIOATION rnnn JAN. 30, 1911.

1,004,150. Patented $6 11.26, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

11 ll; Will! 1 1 awve/wbo z WWW 77 Jab/21 6amm/nys W I b UNITED STATES OFFICE.

JOHN F. CUMMINGS, OF PROVIDENCE, RI-IODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE JOHN F.

CUMMINGS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A COR- PORATION OF DELAWARE.

STAMP-AFFIXING MACHINE.

citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp- Aflixing Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to postage stamp affixing machines and one of the principal objects of the invention is to provide simple,

. efficient and reliable means for moistening the surface of the right hand upper corner of an envelop or a piece of mail matter and feeding a stamp from a strip and fastening the stamp to the moistened surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of simple construction which will feed a stamp from a strip mounted on a spool or reel, said stamp being moved in position over a moistened portion of an envelop and severed and affixed to the e11- velop by a singlestroke of a hand-operated plunger.

Still another object of the invention is to provide improved means for moistening a portion of the surface of the envelop as it is fed into position for aflixing the stamp thereto, the moistening device being readily removable from the machine for supplying the water thereto.

Another objectof the invention is to provide simple means for quickly connecting a roll of imperforate stamps to the spool or reel.

These and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stamp affixing machine made in accordance with my present invention. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the machine with the cover removed.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal. sectional View taken Specification of Letters Iatent.

Application filed January 30, 1911.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911. Serial No. 605,531.

machine. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 9 is a detailed perspective view of the sliding support for the moistener. Fig. 10 is a detailed longitudinal sectional view of the spool or reel for the stamp strip. Fig. 11 is a detailed side eleva-' tion of the removable disk for letting the roll of stamps on the spool. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the absorbent wick for feeding water from the moistening device to the surface of the envelop.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a casing of the required size containing a portion of the mechanism. Hinged at 2 to one end of the casing is a supporting plate 3. Connected to one end of the supporting plate 3 is a hood 4 having an integral tube 5 which serves as a guideway for a plunger 6. A removable cover 7 conceals the mechanism at the top of the supporting plate 3 and this cover can be readily removed whenever desired, and when the plate 3 is swung upon its hinge 2 the entire mechanism is presented to view and is readily accessible for adjustment and repairs.

Secured underneath the supporting plate 3 is a bracket. 8 and mounted in this bracket is a bolt 9, said bolt being provided with a head 10 on one end and fitted with a nut 11 at the opposite end. A sleeve 12 is mounted on the bolt 9 and is held firmly in position by means of a disk 13 provided with a slot 1 1 which slips over the bolt 9, said disk being clamped in place by the nut 11. The head 10 of the bolt is mounted in a recess 15 in a cap 16. By means of this construction the cap 16 may be slightly turned on the bolt to loosen the disk 13, said disk being thus readily removable from the bolt 9 to permit the insertion of a reel of stamps upon the sleeve 12. The object of this construction is to provide means for inserting a reel of stamps without removing a nut from the end of the bolt.

A shaft 17 is journaled near one end in the bracket 8 while the other end of said shaft is journaled in an outwardly projecting lug 8 secured underneath the supporting plate 3. Rigidly mounted on the shaft 17 is a feed roll 18 provided near the opposite ends with radially projecting pins 19, said pins projecting through an opening 3 in the top of the supporting plate 3, a suflicient distance to engage the underside of the strip of postage stamps mounted upon the sleeve 12. The strip 20 of postage stamps passes over an idler roller 21 and underneath a pair of presser rollers 22 journaled on the ends of a bolt 23, said bolt passing thrc ugh a central plate 24 pivoted at 25 to a bracket 26 secured to the top of the supporting plate 3. Secured to the top of the plate 24 is a flat spring 27, the outer end of which is fitted into a notch 28 formed in a pivoted latch comprising a stub shaft 29 mounted in a bracket 30 having a bearing sleeve 31, said bracket being secured to the top of the supporting plate 3. Pivotally mounted on the shaft 29 is a latch 32 one end of which is bent downwardly as at 33 to bear on the surface of the plate 3. Secured to the latch 32 is a disk 34.

In the presser rollers 22 are flexible pads or disks 35 which are disposed in alinement with the pins 19 of the feed roller. The strip 20 of stamps passes between the feed roller and presser rollers and the pins 19 carry the stamp strip forward, said pins pro ecting a sufficient distance in order to perforate the opposite edges of the stamp, and said pins projecting into the pads lVhenever it is desired to adjust the stamp strip by lifting the latch 32 the spring 27 is released from the notch 28 and the spring 27 may then be thrown upward out of the way upon the pivot 25. A throat plate 36 is secured underneath the supporting plate 3 and spaced therefrom a suflicient distance to permit the stamp strip to pass between the said throat plate and the supporting plate 3.

The cutter 37 for severing the stamps as they are fed over the envelop, comprises a blade pivoted upon a screw 38 mounted in an integral projecting portion 39 of the hood 4, said screw being provided with a nut 40 at one end. The stamp aflixer 41 is pivotally connected on a screw 42 secured at one end to the blade 37. The inner end of the stamp affixer is bent upward to form a bearing 43 through which the screw 42 pass-es. The bearing portion 43 is provided with a slot 44 and a guide screw 45 extends from the slot and is secured to the blade 37. A spring 46 is coiled around the screw 38 and one end 47 of said spring is secured to the lug 39, while the other end of the spring bears underneath the stud or screw 48.

The plunger 6 is provided with a slot 49 in its lower end and projecting into the slot 49 is a lever 50 pivoted on the stub shaft 29. A spring 51 is connected to a projecting portion 52 of the lever 50, said spring being seated in a cap 53 secured underneath the bearing plate 3. Pivotally connected at 54 to the lever 50 is a downwardly projecting pawl 55 having a projection 56. The pawl 55 extends through an opening in the supporting plate 3 and is provided with a projection 57, which engages a ratchet provided with four equidistant projections 58, said ratchet being affixed to the shaft 17, and rotatable therewith. Connected to the screw or shaft 23 is a disk 59 provided with four equidistant notches 60. Secured to the disk 59 is a gear wheel 61 which engages a pinion 62 on the meter 63.

Pivotally connected at 64 to the lever 50 is a stop lever 65, said stop lever having a toe 66 which bears upon the projection 56 of the pawl 55. A projection 67 on the stop lever is adapted to engage the notches in the disk 59 to prevent retrograde rotation. A spring 68 secured to a stud 69 on the bracket 8 is provided with a projection 70 which engages the notches 60. A spring 71 extends around the shaft or screw 29 and one end of said spring is secured to a screw 72 attached to the stop lever while the other end of the spring bears underneath an arm 73 formed on the pawl 55, said spring being passed underneath a screw 74 secured to the lever 50.

The moistening devices comprise a water container 7 5 provided with a perforation 76 and a ring 7 7 mounted to rotate on said container, said ring being provided with a perforation 78 adapted to be brought into coincidence with the perforation 76 for filling the tube with water after which the ring is slightly rotated to bring the perforations out of alinement and to prevent the escape of the water. Connected to the water container is a casing 79 for an absorbent moistening element 80, one end of which projects into the water container. The moistening element 80 is substantially L-shaped in form as shown in Fig. 12 and is provided with a perforation 81. The wicking is held in the casing 79 by means of a cover 82 secured in place by a threaded stud or pin 83 and a nut 84. The screw 83 extends through the perforation 81 in the moistening element. Underneath the casing 7 9 is a slot through which the moistening element extends upon the outside as shown at 85, the end of the moistening element being carried backwardly into the casing 79 as shown more clearly in dotted lines in Fig. 12. Formed upon the upper side of the water container 75 is a rounded hanger 86, said hanger adapted to fit into the bearing loop or bend 87 formed on a sliding support 88 mounted in a guide member 89 secured underneath the table 90, projecting outward from the casing.

The feed stop for the envelop or mail matter comprises a pivoted finger 91 which may be swung into or out of.position upon the screw 38. This stop serves to position the envelop underneath the stamp aflixer in position to receive the stamp.

The operation of my stamp affixing machine may be briefly described as follows:

A roll of postage stamps in the form of an imperforate strip is placed upon the sleeve 12 after the removal of the disk 13. This disk is then replaced and secured by turning the cap 16 on the bolt 9. The spring 27 is disconnected from the latch 32 and this spring and the presser rollers 22 are thrown upward out of the way upon the pivot 25. The strip 20 is led up over the idler roller 21 and is fed in between the throat plate 36 and the supporting plate 3 in position to be severed by the cutter. The spring 27 is then thrown down and its end engaged with the notch 28 of the latch, after which the latch 32 is thrown down into the position shown in Fig. 5, thus holding the presser rollers on the top of the stamp strip with the pins 19 engaging the side margins of the strip. The water container 7 5 is filled and the moistener element 80 immersed to insure the proper feeding of the moisture to the portion 85 of said moistening element. The moistener being pivotally mounted in the supporting device 88 will hold the portion 85 of the moistening element down upon the table 90. An envelop or piece of mail matter is slipped underneath the moistener and pushed up against the stop 91 and as the plunger 6 is pushed downward the stamp is fed out over the moistened portion of the envelop, is severed by the cutter and is pressed down upon the envelop by the pivoted affixer 41. The lower end of the plunger 6 bears on the top of the affixer 41 and in order to insure contact of the entire surface of the stamp, the aflixer 4:1 is pivoted so that it will lie flat upon the stamp when the plunger is forced downward. If another stamp is to be secured to the envelop, the stop 91 is thrown up out of the way and the envelop moved along the width of the stamp. At every downward movement of the plunger 6 a stamp is fed outward in position to be severed or cut from the strip and carried down and pressed upon the moistened surface of the envelop.

My invention is comparatively simple in construction, cannot readily get out of order, can be readily adjusted to feed a stamp in position to be cut from the strip and secured to the envelop at each operation of the plunger, while all the operative parts of the machine are readily accessible for adjustment and repairs.

I claim:

1. A stamp affixing machine comprising a casing, a supporting plate hinged to the casing, a reel for a roll of stamps connected in the form of an imperforate strip, said reel being journaled in the casing, a feed roll provided with pins projecting from the periphery of its opposite edges to engage the margins of the stamp strip, presser rollers provided with disks or pads in line with the pins, a plunger, a mechanism operated by the plunger for feeding a stamp out of the machine, means for moistening the upper surface of a portion of an envelop, and a severing and affixing device operated by the movement of the plunger.

2. In a stamp affixing machine, the combination of a stamp reel, a feed roll provided with radially projecting pins, presser rollers mounted in a plate pivoted to the frame of the machine, a spring connected to said plate, and a pivoted latch for holding said spring in position, a lever, a plunger for operating said lover, a pawl carried by the lever, a ratchet mounted on the shaft of the feed roll, a pivoted severing device, and a pivoted stamp aifixer operated by the downward movement of the plunger.

3. In a machine of the character described, a moistening device comprising a water container, a casing, a moistening element extending into the water container and out through the casing, said casing having a removable cover, and said moistening device being mounted upon a sliding support to permit its ready connection to and disconnection from the machine, means for feed ing a stamp, means for severing a stamp from the strip, and means for affixing the stamp to mail-matter.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a counterweighted moistening device for applying moisture to the upper surface of an envelop or other piece of mail-matter, means for feeding stamps serially out through the machine, a cutter for severing the stamps, an aflixer pivoted to the cutter, and a plunger adapted to bear at its lower end upon the top of the affixer for operating the cutter and aflixer, mechanism between the said plunger and means for feeding the stamp strip operated by the plunger.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. CUMMINGS. \Vitnesse FRED WV. PERKINS, EARL P. BEAMHARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

